Two incidents stand out: The Amish school shooting in Lancaster County and a middle school shooting in York County.

It was in April 2003 when 14-year-old student James Sheets came armed with three guns.

He shot and killed the principal, Dr. Gene Segro, and then took his own life.

An assistant superintendent at Red Lion released a statement saying the Red Lion School District is saddened to hear of the senseless tragedy in Connecticut.

"Our hearts and thoughts go out to the students, teachers, parents and the community as they begin to heal from this event."

The Amish school shooting took place in 2006 in Lancaster County.

Charles Roberts barged into a one-room schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, where he shot and killed five girls and wounded five others.

The shooting was a shock to the community, especially the first responders.

Steve Wireback, Tina D'Imperio and Bob Hinkle were among the first emergency responders on the scene of the mass shooting at West Nickel Mines School.

"It's just a vivid scene that I don't think will ever leave my mind, where all these kids were laying where the police officers and ambulances were," said D'Imperio.

"I can see the little girls' faces that I was working on and I can see them leaving," said Hinkle.

The responders said the tragedy has brought them even closer together, always looking out for one another.

"That evil capacity that's in the hearts of many people, it's almost unbelievable. It hurts, it hurts me personally," said the Rev. Dr. Grover Devault, who was assigned to counsel the Pennsylvania State Police.

Troopers said they could hear the screams as Roberts fatally the girls execution-style.

Devault was assigned through the state police to counsel the first responders for post-traumatic stress. He was on the scene that morning.

"What they're experiencing, you're experiencing. And that brings a commonality and enables you to identify with them. Because the pain that you're going through, they're going through, or the pain they'll go through they're not prepared for," Devault said.

Nobody could fathom the reality in Newtown.

Devault said after the terror and the tragedy come the lasting memories, especially tough for emergency workers who are parents.